Hosting the show are Ross Mathews, best known as "Ross the Intern" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Sarina Morales.(Photo: JOE FARAONI, ESPN IMAGES VIA NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC )

Hosting the show are Ross Mathews, best known as "Ross the Intern" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Sarina Morales.

“For Nat Geo WILD this is less about counter-programming and more about using a zeitgeist moment to have some fun and once again try to tap into the passion we have for animals and the people that love them," said Chris Albert, National Geographic's executive vice president for global communications. "In this time, there is a need for some light-hearted entertaining, and we are happy to provide a little of that this Sunday.”

Hosting the show are Ross Mathews, best known as "Ross the Intern" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Sarina Morales.(Photo: National Geographic)

Mathews and Morales interview the animals, who provide pun-filled responses courtesy of voice-over actors. One example from Bunnifer Lawrence: “I was wearing 24 carrots but ate them on the way over.”

“It’s very clean and family friendly,” Mathews, who wrote much of the dialogue, said of the one-hour special. “They let me come up with as many puns as I wanted. At one point, I thought there were too many puns and then I thought there should be more.”

Prior to his current gig, Mathews, 38, covered 18 Oscar shows, three Olympics and Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. He currently is a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Mathews gave animal treats to some of his guests as handlers stood nearby in case some of the critters decided to bite the hand that fed them. But Mathews said he never felt endangered.

“I have been more scared on the real red carpet,” he said. “I wish some of those stars had a handler with a leash on them!”